The caprese panini is the simplest sandwich on the menu and the one we get the most quiet love for. Three ingredients done right.
Fresh mozzarella di bufala — proper buffalo mozzarella, not the rubbery low-moisture kind — gets sliced thick. Tomato is whichever variety is good that week (heirloom in summer, vine-ripe the rest of the year), salted lightly, drained for a few minutes so it doesn't soak the bread. Whole basil leaves are torn, not chopped — bruising the leaves with a knife darkens them.
Layered on ciabatta, brushed with olive oil, pressed on the panini iron until the cheese melts and the outside crisps. A slow drizzle of balsamic glaze across the cut surface at the end — the glaze is reduced balsamic, not the cheap thickened stuff — and a final pinch of flake salt.
$13. Vegetarian. The right answer on a hot Miami afternoon.
